Peaceful.

If there is only a single word that Fresh could use to describe the inside of the eastern dungeon, then it would be ‘peaceful’. The four of them stand there on the other side of the blue-fog of the dungeon-gate, staring out over the wide open expanse before themselves. It looks nothing like any of the other dungeons, the floors of which were contained in cavernous spaces and holes.

This… this is like being outside in the desert. A soft wind blows over them all, carrying with it the smell of the ocean and a soft whistling that sounds like the playing of a flute, somewhere off far, far in the distance. It feels like they shouldn’t be able to hear the sound to begin with, but somehow, it still reaches their ears, as if the sea-breeze were somehow bringing the wordless melody towards them.

There isn’t a sun to be seen, but it is bright and warm nonetheless. There isn’t a sky to be seen, rather, the area above their heads is just sort of… blue. It’s like the sky, but it looks fake, synthetic. Like some great cosmic-painter had simply recreated a depiction of the sky, having been unable to bring the real thing down into here.

“Wow…” says Fresh, looking around the area.

The others seem to share her sense of awe and simply look out over the desert too. There, far in the distance, a large wall of red-fog pulsates out of a second dungeon-gate that sits across the desert. The way to the next floor.

“It’s different,” says Jubilee, looking around the area and taking a step forward onto the soft sand. “It used to look different. The hell?”

“Can dungeons change?” asks Basil, walking after them. “When were you here before?”

Jubilee looks at Basil, shrugging. “Apparent- fucking- ly,” they say, gesturing out at the vast expanse. “This used to be a big rocky field full of bullshity rock-monsters and cacti.” They sigh, marching over the desert. “Fuck’s sake. Even the dungeons are getting worse.”

Something bubbles in the wet sand to their right as they walk alongside the ocean. “Crab,” says Jubilee in a bored voice, not stopping as they walk to the next gate.

A large crab, like the ones outside, pops out of the sand just in time to get whacked on the head by Shamrock. There is a loud cracking and it dissolves instantly, leaving a large pincer behind.

[ You got {4/350} Experience ! ](Party)

“Take the claws, they’re good eating,” says Jubilee. Shamrock nods, bending down and picking up the piece of the crab. Something shoots out of the sand next to him, a large pincer snapping around his wrist and clamping down.

“Shamrock!” calls out Fresh in worry. Shamrock turns her way, shrugging and holding his arm up in the air. A second giant crab hangs from his wrist, dangling freely off of the ground. She sighs in relief, seeing that he’s okay.

“That’s some strong armor,” says Basil. “I’ve heard they can usually cut through weak metal.” She looks around. “Should I do it?” asks Basil, gesturing to the crab. Fresh shakes her head, grabbing her knife from her bag.

“I’ll do it,” she says, steeling herself. She doesn’t want to hurt the monster-crab. But, she wants to let her friends know that she’s willing to get her hands dirty for them too. The crab is too busy snapping unsuccessfully at Shamrock with its free claw to notice her approaching. “Hold still, Shamrock,” she instructs, lifting the dagger up. Fresh closes her eyes for a moment, bracing herself.

She hopes that the crab understands.

[ You got {8/350} Experience ! ](Party) Fresh got: [Giant Crab Claw](Normal) x 1

[Giant Crab Claw](Normal)

A large, orange claw that once belonged to a giant enemy crab. It is filled with delicious, juicy meat.

Weight: 3.2kg Status: Fresh Value: ???

After that second crab is killed, the red-fog in the distance dissipates and the four of them head towards it and then through it, ending up at the start of a space that looks exactly like the one they had just come from.

Floor two of the eastern-dungeon is more crabs. Four this time. Shamrock and Fresh handle them together, while Basil keeps a close eye on them from the side.

[ You got {12/350} Experience ! ](Party)

[ You got {16/350} Experience ! ](Party)

[ You got {20/350} Experience ! ](Party)

[ You got {24/350} Experience ! ](Party)

Floor three is eight crabs. Jubilee kills them all with a single attack. “Time is money,” they say, looking back at their expressions.

[ You got {28/350} Experience ! ](Party)

[ You got {32/350} Experience ! ](Party)

[ You got {36/350} Experience ! ](Party)

[ You got {40/350} Experience ! ](Party)

[ You got {44/350} Experience ! ](Party)

[ You got {48/350} Experience ! ](Party)

[ You got {52/350} Experience ! ](Party)

[ You got {56/350} Experience ! ](Party)

The four of them look in through the next gate, down to floor four. This floor looks a little different and large palm trees dot the shoreline, giving way to a half-jungle area. “Let me guess, more crabs?” asks Basil. But as they walk around the room, no crabs appear as they make their way across the room, walking through the light tropical foliage.

“I guess not,” says Jubilee. “I’m sure this used to be some kind of… uh… lizard floor? I remember big lizards.”

A loud striking of a metal gong breaks the silence. Fresh jumps back in surprise, watching as the coconut, shattered in half on Shamrock’s head, falls down into two pieces down at his feet. “Are you alright, Shamrock?” asks Fresh, rushing over. The man sighs, lifting his gaze up to the tree he is standing below.

“OOH!” A large, apish creature sits high up in the fronds, beating its chest with its two large hands for a moment. It grabs another coconut, Fresh yelps, running to the side just in time as it smashes down where she was standing a second ago. “OO -”

The dire-ape is silenced immediately as a spike of glass shoots through its open mouth, piercing up through its skull from below.

“Ew! Jubilee!” says Fresh, shaking her hands and doing an oddly disgusted dance. The dead monkey flops down from the tree.

[ You got {60/350} Experience ! ](Party)

“What?! How is the monkey different from the crabs?!” asks Jubilee. “Just because you’re twins, doesn’t mean I’m not going to kill it,” they quip, clearly feeling a little snarky today.

Fresh gasps. “Rude!”

Jubilee rolls their eyes, waving her off. “Cut the left paw off. They’re used for magic crafting. Good money if I remember right… The fur sells well too. Shamrock.” Jubilee looks around the trees. “Now where are those other m- ah!”

A very nervous monkey looks out from over a large frond, a few trees away. “…Ooh?” ‘asks’ the monkey.

“Ooh,” says Jubilee, snapping their fingers.

[ You got {68/350} Experience ! ](Party)

Cutting the paws off is far more gruesome work than Fresh has gotten accustomed too. She does her best not to look as well, as Shamrock begins skinning the monkeys, after she finishes.

Fresh got: [Monkey's paw](Normal) x 2

[Monkey's paw](Normal)

A large, bloody, severed paw that once belonged to a dire-ape. It now belongs to you. The tips of the fingers radiate a subtle magical energy.

Weight: 1.1kg Status: Fresh Value: ???

“Oh, I almost forgot,” says Jubilee, looking at Basil. They lift a finger, pointing at the coconuts up above them. “Those are worth three Obols each.”

Basil blinks. “So?”

“So,” says Jubilee, placing their hands on their hips. “Get your pale, fat-ass up that tree and start collecting them.”

“You’re being very rude today,” says Basil, crossing her arms. “Just knock them down with your magic.”

“I’m using my magic to kill everything,” argues Jubilee. “You’re not doing shit.”

There is a loud cracking to the side, the three of them watch as the tree that Shamrock is standing next to shakes, his bloody fist having struck against it once. The coconuts fall down to the soft ground below. He quietly stares at the two of them, before just walking towards the next gate.

Fresh sighs, realizing that her friends are still clearly on edge, even inside of here. She grabs her bag, opening it up and starts tossing everything inside herself.

Fresh got: [Coconut](Normal) x 4

[Coconut](Normal)

The coconut is highly dense in calories and rich in minerals. Covered in a hard, hairy shell, the contents inside are very sweet and refreshing. The coconut is not actually a nut, but rather a coco-fruit of the family of coco-palms.

Weight: 0.7kg Status: Fresh Value: ???

Seeing her working, Basil and Jubilee lay today’s differences aside and begin helping her load everything into the bag.